Photos: Independence Day celebrations mark July 4th nationwide

Independence Day celebrations across the United States brought people together for parades, picnics and fireworks on Thursday, July 4, 2013. Spectators waving U.S. flags and wearing red, white and blue headed for public gatherings in Boston, New York, Washington, Atlanta and other cities under the close watch of police armed with hand-held chemical detectors, radiation scanners and camera surveillance, precautions sparked by the deadly April 15 bombings in Boston.